Rapperswil-Jona (Switzerland, NL B) signed F Jared Aulin (Kamloops, 1997-2002) and F Andrew Clark (Brandon, 2005-09) to one-year contracts. . . . Last season, with Orebro (Sweden, SHL), Aulin had seven goals and 17 assists in 47 games. . . . Clark, last season with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), led the league in points, with 75, including 25 goals, in 36 games. . . .D Shaone Morrisonn (Kamloops, 1999-2002) signed a one-year extension with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). Last season, he had seven assists in 48 games. . . .
F Jesse Schultz (Tri-City, Prince Albert, Kelowna, 1999-2003) signed a one-year contract with Riessersee Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with the Rapid City Rush (ECHL), he had 77 points, 34 of them goals, in 70 games. An alternate captain, he finished third in the ECHL scoring race.
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With the move by DJ Smith from the OHL’s Oshawa Generals to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey Canada had to make an adjustment to the coaching staff of its national junior team. . . . Smith, who was the
head coach of the Memorial Cup-champion Generals, was to have been an assistant coach under head coach Dave Lowry of the Victoria Royals. . . . Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, will move from his post as head coach of the U-18 team into Smith’s vacated position. . . . Stan Butler, the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, has moved in as head coach of the U-18 team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in August. . . . Shaun Clouston, the general manager and head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, has joined the U-18 team as an assistant coach. He replaces Sheldon Keefe, who had been the head coach of the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, but now is head coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.On Monday, McCrimmon announced that was turning down an offer to join the Toronto Maple Leafs’ front office, choosing instead to remain with the Wheat Kings. . . . With Canada’s national junior team, he will be away from the team for about a month, from its selection camp through the end of the tournament, which runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Helsinki, Finland.
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Canada's roster for WJC summer camp. Most interesting invite? Jake Walman who was also invited to Team USA's camp. http://t.co/Q6Gn0O1yIs
— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) June 23, 2015
Hockey Canada also has announced the roster for its national junior team’s summer camp. That roster is right here.
The U-18 summer camp roster is right here.
The U-17 summer camp roster is right here.
All three camps, totalling 194 players, will be held in Calgary, July 29 to Aug. 6 in what Hockey Canada is calling its Summer Showcase.
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The Swift Current Broncos have released three 20-year-old skaters — F Tanner LeSann, D Ayrton Nikkel and F Linden Penner. . . . LeSann, from Yorkton, Sask., had 36 points, including 16 goals, in 195 games over three seasons with the Broncos. . . . Nikkel had two goals and nine assists in 67 games with Swift Current. From Kelowna, he was acquired early last season from the Saskatoon Blades. He also has played with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Everett Silvertips. . . . Penner, from Sherwood Park, Alta., played 36 games with the Broncos last season, putting up four goals and two assists. He also played with the Calgary Hitmen and Moose Jaw Warriors last season. . . . All three have cleared WHL waivers and are free agents. . . . The Broncos now have three 20-year-olds on their roster — G Landon Bow, D Griffin Foulk and F Zac Mackay.——
The USHL’s board of governors decided at its annual meeting in Colorado Springs on the weekend to go to seven-minute overtime periods in regular-season games. They will play 4-on-4 until the first stoppage of play after three minutes of play, then will switch to 3-on-3. If the game remains tied after that, the game will be decided in a shootout, starting with three players from each team. . . . From a USHL news release: “The USHL previously tested the hybrid overtime period during the 2013 and 2014 preseasons with 3-on-3 overtime play. Over the past five seasons, 39 per cent of games were decided during 4-on-4 overtime in the USHL. Over the past two pre-seasons, 71 per cent ended in a 3-on-3 overtime.”———
THE COACHING GAME:
Dallas Eakins, Ryan McGill, Lorne Molleken are the #Giants Final 3. Interesting thing about Eakins, he's never Coached Jr
— JAY JANOWER (@DOUBLEJGLOBALBC) June 23, 2015
If Molleken or Eakins are 1st choice, it will be soon. McGill hasn't ruled out pro, so it will be a bit if it's him. https://t.co/1LC5qSMhCG
— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) June 23, 2015
Some observers are expecting the Giants to make a coaching announcement before week’s end.
Eakins was fired last season as the head coach of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. McGill and Molleken are veteran WHL coaches. McGill’s contract as head coach of the Kootenay Ice wasn’t renewed after last season. Molleken last coached in 2013-14 when he was the GM/head coach of the Saskatoon Blades.Whoever signs on will be Vancouver’s fourth head coach in three seasons. The Giants let Don Hay out of his contract after 10 seasons as head coach, allowing him to return to the Kamloops Blazers in time for last season. Troy Ward, hired as Hay’s replacement, was fired early in the season and replaced by Claude Noel, whose services weren’t retained after the season ended. . . . The Giants missed the playoffs last season, the second time in three seasons that has happened.
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Brent Heaven has moved up and taken over as head coach of the Selkirk College Saints of the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. They are based in Castlegar, B.C. . . . Heaven, a 35-year-old from Kamloops, had been an assistant coach with the Saints. He takes over from Alex Evin, who now is on the staff of the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. . . . The Saints won the BCIHL championship last season.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Chase Wouters and D Payton McIsaac. . . . Wouters, from Lloydminster, Alta., was the 18th overall selection in the 2015 bantam draft. Last season, with the bantam AAA Lloydminster Heat, he had 57 points, including 19 goals, in 32 games. . . . McIsaac, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., was a second-round pick by the Blades in the 2015 bantam draft. He had 45 points, 11 of them goals, in 33 games with the bantam AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers.——
@SeattleTbirds sign their 2015 1st rd bantam pick @elijah_brown5. Earliest they've signed their 1st overall pick since @Jared_Hauf in 2010
— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) June 23, 2015
The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed F Elijah Brown, who was the 15th overall selection in the 2015 bantam draft. Brown, from Edmonton, had 41 points, including 18 goals, in 31 games with the bantam AAA South Side Athletic Club team last season.——
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Braeden Pistawka is the new general manager of the Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He takes over from David Michaud, who left after five years to join the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Michard now is the Vees’ director of player personnel and corporate sales.
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http://t.co/tleIjmGH7f is pleased to have Willie Desjardins HC @VanCanucks as our Key note speaker at the #TSCC2015 http://t.co/jdeL47BNR8
— The Coaches Site (@TheCoachesSite) June 23, 2015
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The BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies are bringing in Craig Didmon to replace general manager and head coach Brad Knight. The move wll be made official today at a news conference. The Grizzlies are 11-10-0-5, good for fourth spot in the Island Division, four points out of third and five points out of second. . . . Didmon, who is taking over on an interim basis, had been with the Grizzlies, but he resigned in June. . . . Independent Sports News has the story 
In Everett, D Tyler King scored at 3:08 of OT as the Kootenay Ice erased a 3-0 deficit and beat the Silvertips, 4-3. . . . Kootenay trailed 3-0 early in the third period when F Tim Bozon scored his ninth goal at 1:35. . . . Ice D Rinat Valiev got his side to within a goal with his fourth goal at 5:40, via a PP. . . . D Tanner Faith scored his first goal of the season at 13:52 of the third to force OT. . . . F Nikita Scherback (bruised thigh) returned to the Everett lineup and had his 12th goal and an assist. . . . The Silvertips also had F Remi Laurencelle (ankle) back in the lineup. . . . Kootenay F Sam Reinhart had his point streak snapped at 10 games. . . . The Ice is 9-2-0 with Reinhart in the lineup. . . . The Ice (13-15-0) has won two in a row. . . . Everett is 16-5-4. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has more 
being decided in a shootout. You know, the ol’ skills competition.
From Brent C. Wagner of the Lincoln Journal Star:
In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 25 shots to lead the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Tigers lead the best-of-seven first-round series 1-0 with Game 2 in Medicine Hat tonight. . . . F Curtis Valk got the Tigers on the board at 14:57 of the first period, with F Chad Butcher making it 2-0 at 2:55 of the third period. Butcher, who is from Kamloops, had six goals in the regular season. With F Anthony Ast having undergone an appendectomy and not likely to play in the series, Butcher moved up to play alongside Miles Koules and Markus Eisenschmid, each of whom drew an assist on the winner. . . . D Julius Honka scored for the Broncos, getting a PP goal at 8:40 of the third. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen made 28 saves. . . . The Broncos were 1-for-4 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-for-3. . . . The Tigers, who sold out each of their 36 regular-season home dates (4,006), drew 3,512 fans to the opener.
In Portland, F Oliver Bjorkstrand’s second goal of the game, at 18:23 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Winterhawks got past the Vancouver Giants, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks lead the first-round series 1-0 with the second game in Portland tonight. . . . The Giants were outshot 45-16, including 32-9 through two periods, but they hung in there. . . . F Jackson Houck gave the visitors the lead at 6:08 of the first period. . . . Portland took a 2-1 lead on goals 43 seconds apart by F Brendan Leipsic (12:37) and Bookstand (13:20). . . . F Thomas Foster pulled Vancouver into a tie at 17:22. . . . Leipsic got his second of the game at 18:19 of the second period, giving his side a 3-2 lead. . . . D Brett Kulak pulled the Giants even again, at 7:16. . . . F Taylor Leier, D Derrick Pouliot and D Mathew Dumba each had two assists for Portland. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 41 shots, while Portland’s Brendan Burke turned aside 13. . . . Houck and Dumba got into a fight as the game ended. . . . Portland F Adam De Champlain was back in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 31. . . . The Portland power play was No. 1 in the WHL in the regular-season, at 27. 5 per cent. But after going 0-for-5 last night, that unit is 3-for-25 against Vancouver this season. . . . The Winterhawks now are 27-1-0 since Dumba played his first game with them on Jan. 17. . . . The first period ended prematurely as there was a problem with one of the gates at the Vancouver bench. The teams were sent to their dressing rooms, then, after repairs were made, they returned to play the final 2:52 of the period. Foster scored 14 seconds after play resumed, tying the score 2-2.
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
F Liam Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs is to leave on the weekend for Dumfries, Scotland, where he will play for Great Britain at the IIHF U20 world championship (Division I Group B). . . . The tournament runs Dec. 9-15. . . . Stewart, the son of actress/model Rachel Hunter and music legend Rod Stewart, is in his third season with the Chiefs. He has 13 points, including five goals, in 24 games. . . . Liam was born in London and has a British passport, although he was raised in the U.S., and now calls Hermosa Beach, Calif., home. . . . Stewart is expected to rejoin the Chiefs after the Christmas break, in time to face the host Kootenay Ice on Dec. 27.
So . . . there was a trade in the OHL on Tuesday that had two players moving from the Windsor Spitfires to the Guelph Storm in exchange for one player and eight draft picks. Yes, eight draft picks! . . . The Storm, which obviously is all-in on this season, acquired F Kerby Rychel, the son of Windsor GM Warren Rychel and the Spitfires’ captain, and D Nick Ebert, in the process giving up F Brody Milne, Guelph’s second-round draft picks in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, Guelph’s fourth-round pick in 2015 and a 15th-round pick in 2017, as well as Kitchener’s third-round pick in 2016 and Windsor’s fourth-round pick in 2014. . . . (Why all the second-rounders? in the OHL, teams aren’t allowed to trade first-round picks). . . . Wouldn’t you have loved to have been the fly on the wall when this monstrosity was being put together? . . . Rychel, a first-round selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL’s 2013 draft, has 39 points, including 16 goals, in 27 games this season. . . . Ebert was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL draft. 
In Calgary, the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s first two goals but gave up the last five and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Hitmen. . . . F Rhyse Dieno, with his 11th, and F Dominik Volek, with his 13th, both via the PP, gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead by the time the game was 1:07 old. . . . The Hitmen tied it before the end of the period and F Chase Lang’s first goal, at 5:54 of the second, stood up as the winner. . . . Lang also drew an assist, on F Linden Penner’s first WHL goal in his 19th game, 18 of them this season. . . . Calgary D Jaylen Rissling took an instigator minor, fighting major and game misconduct at game’s end. . . . The Hitmen held a 40-18 edge in shots. . . . Calgary (16-7-4) has won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (13-14-2) have lost two straight and are two points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . 
In Everett, F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal, his 24th, and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks doubled the Silvertips, 6-3. . . . The victory allowed the Winterhawks (21-5-3) to move atop the WHL’s overall standings, a point ahead of Everett (20-5-4), which had won five straight. Portland is 5-0-1 in its last six and 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . . These were the first teams to 20 victories this season; the Kelowna Rockets won their 20th game last night. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist ran his point streak to 18 games with two goals — he’s got 23 — the first coming via the PP at 3:57 of the first. . . . Winquist has 40 points, including 16 goals, during his 18-game tear. . . . Portland then scored the next five goals to take control. . . . Portland D Keoni Texeira had two assists in his first multi-point game. . . . Winterhawks F Taylor Leier scored his 20th goal of the season. . . . Winterhawks G Brendan Burke stopped 35 shots in posting his 50th career victory. He is 50-11-6. . . . Portland now heads out on an Alberta swing that opens Friday in Edmonton against the Oil Kings. These teams met in the last two WHL finals, each winning once.
In Kelowna, the Rockets erased 2-1 and 3-2 deficits and beat the Vancouver Giants 4-3 in OT. . . . D Damon Severson got the winner at 2:36 of extra time. He’s got seven goals. . . . This was the first of eight meetings between these two teams. . . . The Rockets (20-3-2) boast the WHL’s best winning percentage (.840). Portland (.776) is next. . . . Kelowna trails the Winterhawks by three points but has four games in hand. . . . The Giants are 5-0-5 in their last 10. . . . At 12-11-7, the Giants hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. They are five points ahead of the idle Prince George Cougars (11-16-4). . . . F Cain Franson scored twice for Vancouver, giving him 10. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen forced OT with his ninth goal at 19:43 of the third. That goal came just 20 seconds after F Alex Baer had given Vancouver a 3-2 lead with his fourth goal. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke turned aside 29 shots in running his record to 15-1-2. In his fourth season, the Leduc, Alta., native is 68-28-10. . . . F Tyson Baillie had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Rockets. . . . 
In Victoria, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 25 shots to help the Royals to a 3-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . That was the first career shutout for Vollrath, an 18-year-old from Calgary in his second season. He has a 1.88 GAA, .942 save percentage and 6-2-1 record as he backs up Patrik Polivka. . . . The Royals were 2-for-3 on the PP, with their other goal coming while shorthanded. . . . F Logan Nelson had a goal, his 12th, and an assist, while D Brett Cote had two assists. . . . The game might have featured a brother act, with F Mitch Skaspki in Victoria’s lineup, but his brother, G Mackenzie, was on the Ice’s bench in support of Wyatt Hoflin, who stopped 16 shots. . . . The Royals (19-11-1) are 8-2-0 in their last 10 and are fourth in the Western Conference. . . . The Ice, which has been shut out four times this season, will catch a morning ferry and play in Vancouver tonight. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash, the Tri-City Americans scored two PP goals as they beat the Saskatoon Blades, 3-1. . . . The Americans scored three first-period goals, the first two on the PP. . . . F Taylor Vickerman, who is from Kennewick, scored his second goal to get the Americans started. It was his first goal since returning to the lineup three games ago. He sat out 25 games with an injury. . . . Tri-City F Phil Tot had two assists. . . . The Blades are 0-4 in their swing through the U.S. Division. The tour concludes tonight in Spokane.
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